Finnish Oven Pancake: Favorite Homey Dessert in Finland

The Finnish oven pancake (pannukakku in Finnish) is an ordinary dessert in any Finnish home. But when I say ordinary, I mean it in the most loving way.

You see, there isn’t a Finnish kid who doesn’t have a warm memory of a just-baked crispy-on-the-top and all-gooey-in-the-middle homemade oven pancake.

Finnish moms have baked an oven pancake to cure the disappointment of a lost football match, mend a broken heart and celebrate a regular, cozy weekday evening.

I don’t know an easier sweet treat than the oven pancake! Honestly, you don’t need any baking skills to do it. The best news? You don’t need a mixer, either.

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The Finnish Oven Pancake Recipe

This recipe makes one baking tray-sized pancake with rough measurements of 15×12 inch (40×30 cm). That’s enough for two adults and two school-aged kids. If you are serving a bigger crowd, better make two trays!

We use deciliters here in Finland but I have converted the amounts to American cups too.

I have put the names of the ingredients in Finnish. If you want to learn a bit of Finnish, this is a fun opportunity to do so. Furthermore, the Finnish names are handy if you are in Finland, and trying to find the ingredients in a Finnish grocery store!

So roll your sleeves up and let’s make pannukakku!

Oven Pancake Ingredients with Finnish Measurements

In Finnish: Pannukakkutaikina suomalaisilla mitoilla

• 2 eggs (kananmuna)
• 100 g melted butter (voi)
• 8 dl milk (maito)
• 1,5 dl granulated sugar (taloussokeri)
• 2 tsp vanilla sugar (vaniljasokeri)
• 4 dl all-purpose baking flour (puolikarkea vehnäjauho)
• 1 tsp baking powder (leivinjauhe)
• 1 tsp salt (suola)

Oven Pancake Ingredients with American Measurements

In Finnish: Pannukakkutaikina amerikkalaisilla mitoilla

• 2 eggs (kananmuna)
• 1 stick of melted butter (voi)
• 3,5 cups milk (maito)
• ⅔ cup granulated sugar (taloussokeri)
• 2 tsp vanilla sugar (vaniljasokeri)
• 1 ⅔ cups all-purpose baking flour (puolikarkea vehnäjauho)
• 1 tsp baking powder (leivinjauhe)
• 1 tsp salt (suola)

On top:

• Strawberry or raspberry jam (mansikkahillo tai vadelmahillo)
• Optional: whipped cream or vanilla ice cream (kuohukerma tai vaniljajäätelö)

Instructions

Mix the sugar, eggs, and milk in a bowl. Put flour, baking powder and salt in a separate cup and mix, then add with the sugar-egg-milk dough. Whisk. 

If you are doing this for the first time, you’ll start to get worried. The dough is watery and full of flour bubbles. Fear not! This dough isn’t meant to be perfect. Try to break the biggest bubbles but don’t worry, you’ll never catch them all. The dough will be uneven.

Last, whisk in the butter.

Leave the dough to rest z. 20-30 minutes. Preheat oven to 440°F / 225°C.

Pour the dough on a baking tray covered with parchment paper. Remember to have enough paper for the sides of the tray, too. The dough looks even funnier flat but the taste will be yummy, I promise!

Bake the pancake for 30 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool a bit, cut to pieces and eat immediately with jam. A scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream complete this dessert.

Does the Finnish pancake recipe sound easy and inviting? Will you try Finnish oven pancake? Let me know in the comments!

Looking for more Finnish recipes? Check out some of my other Finnish food posts:

• Finnish Pancakes on a Stove or Open Fire (‘Lettu’ Recipe)
• Fabulous Finnish Blueberry Pie Recipe
• Irresistible Finnish Cinnamon Rolls (‘Pulla’ Recipe)
• Easy Finnish Chanterelle Pie
• Classic and Simple Finnish Salmon Soup